THE years 1980 and 2014 are important to the history of Zimbabwe in many ways.
In 1980, the new black Government was taking over a country battered and bruised by the agonies of a protracted war of liberation.
The same can be said of 2014 as the Government embarked on a process to rebuild a country and economy stymied by illegal economic sanctions.
So much has been written and said about events in the past three weeks when Harare stunned many through the signing of mega deals catering for every sector of the economy, but that alone cannot be enough unless complimented by the hard work which the people of this country have now been associated with.
The Chinese have already made their mark.
The Russians who last week sealed a mega US$3 billion platinum deal have already started releasing money for the Darwendale project.
We have been told of the overtures of the United States and Australia.
But for these to yield positive results there is need for collective effort.
The time to invoke the spirit of 1980 when everyone joined hands to contribute to building the newly born Zimbabwe is now.
In 1980 there was a spirit of togetherness, hard work and commitment from Zimbabweans as they rebuilt their country.
This year must for all intents and purposes sees the same happening.
According to a 1995 World Bank report, after independence, “Zimbabwe gave priority to human resource investment and support for small-holder agriculture,” and as a result, “small-holder agriculture expanded rapidly during the first half of the 1980s and social indicators improved quickly.”
The results were there for all to see.
In 1980 the Government propagated a whole range of new economic policies, introducing a minimum wage and virtually eliminating the right to fire workers. 
Total spending on education nearly trippled (from Z$227,6 million to Z$628 million) as did Government spending on healthcare (from Z$66,4 million to Z$188,6 million), between 1979 and 1990.
The evolution of the country’s education system began under the leadership of President Robert Mugabe in September 1980 with the provision of free primary school education for all.
With these favourable conditions, parents who previously could not afford sending their children to school could do so.
President Mugabe implemented this under a policy called, ‘Education for All’, which ensured near-universal education at both primary and secondary levels.
Massive healthcare institutions were built across the country with six provincial hospitals, 25 district hospitals and 62 rural hospitals in the early 1980s.
About 460 health centres were provided with radio communication, solar-powered lighting and clean water supplies.
As a result of these developments, more than 85 percent of the country’s population now live within eight kilometres of a health facility.
Life expectancy increased from 56 years in 1980 to over 61 years in 2000 before the illegal economic sanctions by the West began to take effect.
The infant mortality rate fell from close to 100 to 66 per live births, the prevalence of malnutrition in children under three years fell from 22 percent to 16 percent and the percentage of fully immunised children rose from 25 percent in 1980 to 86 percent in 1997, while the use of contraceptives rose from about 14 percent to 60 percent in 1997.
From 1980 to 1990 infant mortality decreased from 86 to 49 per 1 000 live births, under five mortality was reduced from 128 to 58 per 1 000 live births, and immunisation increased from 25 percent to 80percent of the population.
By 1990, Zimbabwe had a very low infant mortality rate, higher adult literacy and higher school enrolment rate than average for developing countries.
On women empowerment, the ZANUPF’s Women’s League and the Ministry of Community Development and Women’s Affairs mobilised from cells, villages, branches, districts right up to provincial levels by carrying out income generating and developmental projects.
The following was achieved.
The Women’s League established a training centre to benefit mainly rural women.
Kubatsirana Training Centre offered courses to women in nutrition, co- operative formation, bakery, gardening and so on.
By April 1981, the Government had spent over Z$61 million to supply seed and family fertiliser packs to over 235 000 families and to feed 700 000 across the country
President Mugabe aptly captured it in 1985, while giving a review of the achievements they had made in the first five years of self-rule.
Writing in the preface of the book: Rebuilding Zimbabwe at 5 Years of Independence, President Mugabe said:
“We have had to restructure an economy previously geared to serve a quarter of a million people so that it can respond to the needs of over seven million Zimbabwean citizens.
“We have tackled the problems of landlessness, ill-health, illiteracy unemployment and all those others that our people fought against over the last 90 years of colonial rule.
“We have not won them all, but we have made a start.”
This is the start we have made through the China and Russia deals and we hope that the spirit of 1980 engulfs the nation so that we give the country a new impetus on the economic front.
Let those with ears listen.